Poet. Essayist. Author. Philosopher. Dragon. @rileyjddanvers - Tumblr Blog

Review: Obsession **SPOILERS AHEAD** If you haven't seen this film, you may not want to read this. Lots of spoilers.... https://writingasajourney.com/2026/06/11/review-obsession/

Sometimes Community It's been an incredible couple of weeks and this week is no different. Have you ever felt as though something was growing inside of you?... https://writingasajourney.com/2026/06/10/sometimes-community/

Burning Brilliantly and Daring Greatly I've been re-reading Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. Back in 2020, I read (I think) three of her books; I know I read…... https://writingasajourney.com/2026/06/09/burning-brilliantly-and-daring-greatly/

Announcement Reveal: Published! I can officially announce what's been brewing behind the scenes: my chapbook of poetry, This Is How I, was accepted for publication by Bottlecap Press!... https://writingasajourney.com/2026/06/03/announcement-reveal-published/

Press Forward, Press Onward I'm finally getting into a rhythm with writing poetry. I said this in a previous post, but I really do believe that writer's block is just the need for a consistent reading practice, an intentional and deep reading practice....

Prequel to a Big Announcement

I have a big announcement coming up! I can’t say what it is just yet since it’s still in the works, but I’m extremely excited about it. Honestly, I needed it. Sometimes as authors, we just really need someone to validate our work, our skill, our importance in the creative world. And don’t get me wrong, self-reliance is hugely important in that way, but especially in this age where it’s harder and…

Project Hail Mary

I don’t do a lot of reviews of movies or tv shows on my blog anymore, but I need to make an exception for this one. Hollywood has been going through what I call a slow suffocation of capitalistic motivation; in other words, they care more about making the most money possible for the least amount of effort, and it’s leading to a lot of really bad, completely derivative movies. And I’m not talking…

It's Time for Growth

Yesterday after work, I read in the current poetry book I’m reading (Wild Gratitude by Edward Hirsch). I’m trying to read two poetry books every week. I’ll be finishing his book today and tomorrow I’ll be starting Continuity by Cynthia Arrieu-King. I’m excited for June to roll around because my next selection of books is Sorrow Arrow by Emily Kendel Frey, Soft Science by Fanny Choi, The Collected…

Writer's Block or Something Else?

I’ve been writing more poetry, but it’s been slower than I like. I haven’t actually had “writer’s block” in forever and, like some writers, I’m not even sure if I believe that it exists. I think it’s common for writers to want to write but not be able to think of anything, and this is what’s often called writer’s block. But, unlike the typical perspective of writer’s block where it’s almost like…

Poetry Community on Threads

When I left Twitter after Elon Musk beat it to death and then ground its dead body into ash, I grieved the loss of the incredible writing community there. I made so many friends and watched them start their writing journeys and find different levels of success; I also learned a lot about the publishing industry following agents and small presses and indie authors. It was a truly beautiful…

A Little Breathing Room

I checked my Submittable account and I currently have 50 different submissions out for publication consideration. Some of these–a lot of them, actually–are manuscript submissions for Sonnets for Post-Divorce Photosynthesis, but several are also submissions of individual poems; anywhere from 3 to 10 are sent in at a time. I haven’t been this actively submitting my work since I was in undergrad.…

Just a Crack

Yesterday was the first day that I read poetry voraciously in quite some time. After work, I went home, grabbed a couple of books (Matt Hart’s Sermons & Lectures and C.T. Salazar’s American Cavewall Sonnets) and I went outside, sat in my backyard with the warm sun glaring down on me, and I read a lot of poetry. I am 6 books behind in my Goodreads goal, and I am trying to catch up. I’m not…

Writing Conferences and Sequential Poems

This last weekend I went to a local writing conference with my brother. The community college we both attended hosts an annual writer’s conference and last month, they mailed out cards to promote it. My brother saw the card I was sent and asked me if I wanted to go. It had been years since I’d last attended and the idea of seeing my former professors again while also dipping my toes back into the…

Publishing and Its Challenges

I consider myself lucky that I can call myself a traditionally published poet, but it has not come without its challenges. My debut poetry book, Even the Air, Too Heavy, was published in 2022 and since then, I have been working on other poetry manuscripts. My second, a collection of sonnets chronicling the year after I separated from my ex-husband, has been ready for publication for years, but…

The Vulnerability Conversation

Yesterday I met up with my best friend for dinner. It had been a while since she and I had seen each other, and it was a much needed couple of hours. One thing that stood out to me afterwards was the ways in which we are always evolving into, out of, and around vulnerability. Whether it’s vulnerability with friends and family, colleagues, potential readers, social media followers, we are swirling…

Writing Journey Evolution

Sometimes our writing journey/process has to evolve. As individuals we’re always changing, always evolving, always adapting. New jobs, new college, new homes, new relationships, etc. all impact our daily routines and, as a result, our writing practices have to change, too. In my M.F.A. program, one of our faculty mentors talked about what it means to develop a writing practice and what he said…

Filling the Cup

I’m trying to return to a place of abundance. As I mentioned in previous posts, 2020 was a year of immense output with poetry. I started the year with a goal of writing 150 poems and I ended up writing over 300. I also couldn’t stop reading poetry. It was as if my mind and soul and body were completely transfixed on verse in a way that simply wouldn’t let go, and nor did I want it to. I miss…

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Poet. Essayist. Author. Philosopher. Dragon.